


The Impossible Route

by vateliae (GoatSenpai)



Series: The Impossible Route [1]
Category: Heaven Official's Blessing, tian guan ci fu
Genre: M/M, i haven't written a fanfiction in like 3 or 4 years, so let's see how this goes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2020-09-30
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:33:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26713030
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GoatSenpai/pseuds/vateliae
Summary: “Gods above, I am forcing you into servitude. Bring forth what I want, or may the thrones you so elegantly rest upon crumble into the pieces as my revenge comes crashing down on you.” His words were loud in volume, but every word dripped cold and controlled malice. “Bring forth what I want. Bring forth the son that you sent away.” The anger in his words beginning to become overbearing and suffocating.“Bring him here! Xie Lian!” The man yelled out.
Relationships: Huā Chéng/Xiè Lián, San Lang/Xie Lian, Xie Lian/Hua Cheng, Xie Lian/San Lang
Series: The Impossible Route [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1944040
Comments: 4
Kudos: 31





	1. Prologue: The Forced Servitude of the Skies

“You… this cruel universe… you who have made me endure nothing but suffering, I will no longer try to curry your favor. With this, I am making you do as I wish. With this, I am forcing your hand. You will bring to me what belongs to me. You will let me speak with that person, that person that haunts my every dream. You will let me reach out my hand and finally grasp that person.” These words were uttered within the secrecy of a dark room high in a tower. The tower was decrepit on the outside, with ivy overgrowing the dark and battered stone. It appeared to be a miracle that in such a state of decomposition, the tower remained tall without any stone misplaced. The very nature that came off of this tower would cause any normal person to fall to their knees and feel fear deep to their bones. On a night like that, it would especially garner such fear from any passerby.

At the top of this tower, a sinister and red smoke circled about. Its movements were sinister and infectious, nothing about the way it billowed out from the shattered windows of the room at the top spoke words of benevolence into the crisp night air. It moved with anger as if this smoke had been wronged by the universe built around it. The origin of such a smoke truly felt this way.

Centered in the dark wooden planks of the room at the top of the tower was a crudely carved array. This array was made up of shapes layered on top of each other to form a perfectly symmetrical -in every way possible- haunting sight. Just like the smoke, although it was unmoving, the red glow coming from every single spot in the wood that was carved was sickening. The way it illuminated the moving smoke proved the true and more nefarious nature of the smoke. It was hardly smoke at all. In the red light, the individual droplets and movements of blood were purely shown for all to see. That smoke, that angry smoke, was a mist of blood.

The origin of this sickening sight was in the exact center of the array. A shaking body, brimming with anger. The man was wearing a crimson robe made of a silky fabric that waved in the wind created from the violent movements of the mist. Around his waist sat tightly a black belt, unmoving. Even the trousers the man wore did not reveal any signs of disarray. What could possibly tell you this man was suffering? Despite such a rich and refined look to his clothing, his feet were bloodied and blistered all over as if he’d been walking barefoot for hours. Loose and messy black hair creating a stark contrast against the refined robe, the thick locks spreading down the back of the robe like veins spreading out from a heart. His skin was pale and his eyes in the lighting of the room appeared to glow red as if he were truly a devil. The man was on his knees and hunched over. One arm protectively around his stomach as though he had been stabbed, though no blood was evident on the robe. The other hand was reaching for his right eye. As he spoke his hatred for the universe into existence and toppled the neatly stacked balance of power by forcing his will, one could only feel sick from hearing such words. This man, full of hate after being wronged his whole life, had taken the reigns and was enacting his revenge. While doing so, he was forcibly taking everything that rightfully belonged to him.

His hand reached the eye, what followed after this was a bloody sight, befitting of the mist of blood around him. The man dug his fingers into his eye socket, letting out a scream of pain. Although the scream was bloodcurdling, it was also filled with anger. It was not a scream of pity, it was a scream to fear, for the emotions behind this scream were hard to ignore. That scream that tore through the very air and burdened even the sky above would make a god tremble in fear for the future that awaited him. The man tightened his grip on his eye and ripped it out. The scream turned into a peal of deep and loud laughter as he raised his left hand to grip his hair while his right hand held his right eye. The man arched his back backward while laughing.

“Gods above, I am forcing you into servitude. Bring forth what I want, or may the thrones you so elegantly rest upon crumble into the pieces as my revenge comes crashing down on you.” His words were loud in volume, but every word dripped cold and controlled malice. “Bring forth what I want. Bring forth the son that you sent away.” The anger in his words beginning to become overbearing and suffocating. The man took in a deep breath, then crushed the eye in his hand, a deep red glow forced it’s way out through the cracks of his fist into the room.

“Bring him here! Xie Lian!” The man yelled out. This command was not something to be ignored, rather, it was being forced onto the ones who wronged him. The name that spilled out from his mouth into the night rang loudly, overshadowing any sound around the tower and drowning it out.

With the last sound of the name, Xie Lian, the man’s right fist glowed more violently and the tower shook as though the very ground it rested upon was coming alive. That deep and loud laughter filled the air once more and the mist of blood moved more violently, all of it rushing in towards the man’s fist and forcing itself into it. Once the mist was gone, it was as though the very essence of life was sucked out of the room. The array’s red glow dimmed to nothing, the mist was gone, and the man’s right-hand fist ceased its violent glowing. The man also stopped laughing. An eerie silence seeped out into the night, giving off the energy of being in the eye of the storm. A momentary calm that felt more dangerous than anything that had been occurring before it.

As if to solidify this description, the very walls at the top of the tower burst out into the sky around it and froze in the air not very far from the room at the top of the tower. The wind picked up and the man sat up straight as the wind moved through his hair and made it wave through the breeze while his clothes behaved as though they were trying desperately to cling onto him. The man turned his fist so his palm would be facing up. He opened his hand and released a red beam of sorts up to the sky, which only grew in circumference until it encased the entirety of the man. Where the beam pierced the sky, dark clouds began to spiral around the spot which increased in size. The beam began making a loud pulsing sound which grew in frequency until it was unbearably loud, then it stopped. The beam stopped piercing the sky and the clouds dissipated. The man stared up at the stars as they came back into view and he let out a weak laugh. A smile began to grow on his face as his eye softened its gaze.

“Please don’t make me wait much longer.” His voice was quiet and soft, as if he spoke any louder then he’d break. He closed his eyelids and set his left hand over his right eye socket and healed it. Stopping the bleeding. An eye with a deep red iris appeared in place of what was once there. Two eyes then stared out into the skies in admiration. One the color of blood, and the other the color of warm amber. That did not go on for much longer, as the man could hardly remain conscious any longer. His eyelashes fluttered as he attempted to stay awake, though the battle came to an end as his eyes closed and he fell into a laying position on his side. It would take more to cause his heart to stop, but the actions he’d performed that night had greatly exhausted him nonetheless.

His body would lay unmoving in the crisp and calm night as the hours passed without a soul acknowledging his condition, without a warm touch to gently pick him up and carry him to bed. That treatment was normal for him.

He was a man loved by misfortune and pain.


	2. Chapter One: The Honorable Crown Prince of the Two-Bedroom Apartment.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Xie Lian ends up getting a new phone anyway.

Tawny colored eyes opened up to a small bedroom with the sun shining brilliantly through it. A soft and gentle yawn originated from the owner of these eyes. The young man stretched out his arms above his head and stretched out his legs as far as he could, then he stopped stretching, letting his limbs go lax with a sigh. He sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes and pulled back the white comforter that rested on top of him. He turned his legs to dangle off the bed and slid his feet into comfy gray slippers. The man got out of bed and left his room, trudging down the small hallway in gray sweatpants and a loose white t-shirt to the kitchen.

The man, despite his tired appearance, was objectively attractive. He saw the world through two warmly colored round eyes, with long eyelashes that matched the color of his dark brown hair. His hair color was dark, but it was not harsh. Shoulder length straight hair that shined in the golden sun of the morning seemed to pair well with his milky skin tone, softened even further by the light constant blush on his cheeks. His fingers, long and elegant, worked his hair into a low ponytail, using a hair clip that was nearby on a counter. The young man began cooking while humming to himself with a smile.

Although the world outside of the apartment thickened surrounding areas with the sound of honking cars, tire squealing, construction work, and thousands of conversations all happening at once, the apartment seemed oddly peaceful. It was as if the apartment was in a separate world entirely. That only lasted for a few minutes more until the sound of a phone alarm going off permeated through the blissful silence. The young man raised his right hand and rubbed at the back of his neck with a sigh. He stepped away from the stove and went into his bedroom and shut off the alarm. Very often, he’d wake up before his alarm went off, but he always had it set just in case. He didn’t always remember to shut it off, unfortunately.

This was unfortunate because the young man did not live alone, within the apartment across the hallway from his bedroom rested his young cousin, who could have quite the unbearable attitude. He was sure the alarm would wake up his cousin, as it had many times in the past. The young man went over to the door and knocked softly before setting his hand on the knob and gently turning it and opening the door just enough to get his head through. “Qi Rong, it’s time to wake up.” The soft voice of this young man soothed its way into that Qi Rong’s bedroom.

“Yeah. I heard that fucking alarm.” The new voice, belonging to Qi Rong, was less soft and smooth, rather, it forced its way into existence with a nasty and rough tone. Qi Rong was like a polar opposite of his cousin, though he admired his older cousin greatly. “Cousin Xie Lian, why don’t you get a new phone? You’ve had the same piece of shit one for years.” Anyone might be stunned hearing such words from a handsome young man like Qi Rong, who resembled his gentle older cousin, but Xie Lian was quite used to it, as he had been taking care of Qi Rong for 6 years after the passing of his parents. The age difference between the two wasn’t drastic, but Qi Rong still needed someone to look after him as his parents had both died before Xie Lian’s passed. They were 3 years apart and at a first glance you’d think they were brothers, but at a second glance, you could see the distinct differences in their faces. Xie Lian’s face was soft and handsome with an ever-present small smile always gracing his features.

Qi Rong had slanted eyes with constantly furrowed brows and to opposite Xie Lian’s smile, he was always frowning. One look at his face, and you’d know not to anger him. Qi Rong was vulgar, rude, and could be quite cruel to anyone who got in his way without an ounce of empathy no matter how much wrong he did. He only truly listened to his cousin, and even then it was touch and go. Qi Rong admired his cousin greatly, you see, and he’d gone too far in harming those who dared insult his cousin in the past. Even going so far as to harm a child who accidentally ran into Xie Lian.

Though, again, that was quite normal to Xie Lian though he greatly tried to discourage such behaviors. “It stills works, why bother with something new?” Xie Lian smiled. “I’m making breakfast, hurry up getting ready.” He spoke with a hum.

“Oh- um- I’m sorry, cousin. I have to go… I have to go do stuff early this morning at the university.” Qi Rong spoke quickly and got out of bed in a rush, walking over to his door. “Why don’t we go out for breakfast tomorrow, yes? That cafe down the street? Yeah, tomorrow, let’s do that tomorrow.” His voice was hurried as he ushered Xie Lian away from his bedroom door and shut it, then began getting ready for his university classes.

Xie Lian stood there with his head tilted in confusion. Qi Rong wasn’t a motivated student, so this was certainly odd, but he was glad to see Qi Rong getting ready so eagerly. Xie Lian returned to the kitchen with a soft sigh. “How come no one ever eats my food but me?” He murmured to himself and finished cooking, then prepared his plate of food and set it down on the dining room table. Xie Lian poured himself a glass of milk and sat on a chair at the dining room table, sitting where his food was placed on the table. He set the glass down and began eating. Xie Lian was quite used to his cooking and saw no problem with it, though, to anyone else, it was if they were being forced to eat something truly horrid. Xie Lian’s specialty definitely did not lie in cooking.

Qi Rong was out of his room quickly and dressed properly. He went to the front door and set his bag down, then took off his slippers and put on his sneakers. “Cousin, I’m leaving!” He called out and grabbed his bag, and slid the strap over his shoulder.

“Have a good day!” Xie Lian called back with a smile. He turned in his seat and looked back to wave at Qi Rong.

“I won’t. I have that shitty professor today, the one that doesn’t know what the fuck he’s talking about.” Qi Rong grumbled angrily.

“Qi Rong, he has a degree in the subject, just trust what he teaches you and work earnestly.” Xie Lian offered in a more serious tone. Qi Rong nodded and waved shortly, then unlocked the front door and turned the knob, he opened the door and stepped out, closing it behind him. Xie Lian turned back to his food and finished eating, then gathered all the dishes he used and washed them in the sink with a sponge and dish soap. He dried them off after washing the last item and placed them away neatly in the respective cupboards they belonged in.

Xie Lian went to the bathroom and took a nice 10-minute shower, afterward he blow-dried his hair went to his bedroom with a towel wrapped around his waist. Xie Lian picked a simple and non-distracting outfit for the day, sticking to warm colors that weren’t too bright. He wore a freshly ironed white button-up with a simple white t-shirt beneath it to prevent any issues with the button-up being seethrough. He wore elegant black dress pants that his button-up was nicely tucked into, with a brown leather belt threaded through the belt loops of the pants and buckled at the front. Xie Lian brushed his hair again and carefully took two sections from the top part of his hair and tied the sections at the back in a discreet bun. Xie Lian put on a pair of black socks and selected a taupe colored v-neck sweater to wear over his button-up. After this, he grabbed his work bag and headed to the front door and put on black loafers.

He was dressed as modestly as possible and in a very respectable way. Xie Lian did not like to come across as messy and unkept if he could prevent it. Xie Lian headed to work by walking as he only lived a few minutes away. While walking, he saw a familiar face leaned up against a wall, seemingly waiting on someone. “Shi Qing Xuan, good morning.” He greeted warmly. Shi Qing Xuan perked up and smiled happily at him. Shi Qing Xuan was a girl he befriended in college, she was always kind to him and stuck around no matter how low of a state Xie Lian was in. It was refreshing that she tended to carry their conversations.

Shi Qing Xuan was an interesting character, though her appearance matched it. You could truly tell what kind of person she was by what she wore. Shi Qing Xuan often wore showy and pretty clothing, and could often make anything work. More often then not though, she was seen in a qipao and always had her hair in a half-up and half-down style. Though many only looked at her at surface level. Shi Qing Xuan was pretty, this was indisputable, even she would refuse to believe otherwise and made sure to take good care of her appearance. Shi Qing Xuan could probably take everyone’s breath away but Xie Lian’s. Xie Lian was truly indifferent to most people and was hardly interested in relationships and therefore had never been in one. He would say anything to get out of someone asking him out, without batting an eyelash.

Shi Qing Xuan had long black hair that reached her lower back, and to describe it simply (more complex words could not capture it as accurately as the simpler words), it was fluffy. Her hair was truly, without a doubt, fluffy. Xie Lian couldn’t think anything else whenever he saw it, it kind of reminded him of a golden doodle’s hair, which would make him giggle to himself sometimes as he often got the idea that Shi Qing Xuan was also like a golden doodle. 

Xie Lian was quite lost in his thoughts as he walked with Shi Qing Xuan next to him. His mind was stuck on fits he’d heard Qi Rong throwing the past 2 days. He normally wasn’t so caught up on Qi Rong’s tantrums as he was used to them, but he seemed to be quite frustrated, more than usual.

“Lian-er?” A voice and a face pulled him from his thoughts. Shi Qing Xuan had stopped in front of Xie Lian and was calling for him. Xie Lian shook his head out of his thoughts and smiled. Decidedly not mentioning Shi Qing Xuan calling him Lian-er as they were good friends, though he’d never think to call Shi Qing Xuan similarly as that was simply who he was.

“Sorry, Shi Qing Xuan, I was distracted. What did you say?” He tilted his head. Shi Qing Xuan tsked playfully and laughed, beginning to walk next to him again.

“I asked if you wanted to meet up after you’re done with work with Nan Feng and Fu Yao. It’d be good if you could bring Ling Wen along too, we could all enjoy some time at the cafe you like!” She suggested and clasped her hands together. Xie Lian rubbed the back of his neck as he thought about it, expression uneasy. Last time Nan Feng and Fu Yao created a disturbance and got them kicked out, and Xie Lian didn’t want to be forever banned from the cafe he enjoyed.

“Why don’t you all come back to my place and I’ll make dinner?” Xie Lian suggested. He’d rather not get kicked out of another place if he picked a second option. Shi Qing Xuan seemed to become anxious at the words dinner, shown by her body tensing up. Her face showed momentary fear.

“Why don’t we order take out at your place and we can all just hang out and talk? I’ll pay!” Shi Qing Xuan offered, making her tone sound as genuine as possible. Even Shi Qing Xuan knew that Xie Lian’s cooking was to be absolutely avoided at all costs. Xie Lian noticed that yet again people were dodging his food. He internally sighed, sparing the time to think to himself,  _ I can’t be that bad of a cook, can I? _ Though he was only momentarily saddened by this.

“Sure. I’m sure Qi Rong would appreciate some take out ready for him when he finishes up his classes.” Xie Lian smiled. He was always able to find a positive in most situations. “I’ll make sure to ask Ling Wen at work today if she can come.” Xie Lian stopped in front of his work building. Shi Qing Xuan walked with him to work every day, as their respective companies resided on the same street. Shi Qing Xuan was quite a talented clothing designer for a handmade clothing shop, and she made a great amount of money from it too.

“Thanks, Xie Lian! You’re the best! I’ll see you!” She said cheerfully and waved to Xie Lian as he went inside the building. Xie Lian walked through the lobby and turned to the right once at the back of the lobby, heading down a hallway. He walked for a few seconds until he reached a brown door. He grabbed the doorknob and turned it, opening the door. Xie Lian walked into the room and flicked the light switch to turn the lights on. He went over to a machine on the wall and clocked in with his fingerprint.

“Oh, Xie Lian, good, do you have a second?” Xie Lian turned around to look at the owner of the voice and smiled at Ling Wen. Ling Wen was the CEO of the company he worked at. It was a game developing company, though Ling Wen herself wasn’t much to play games, she knew how to read the public and was able to make incredible decisions that constantly made the company flourish. Xie Lian admired her intelligence and the respectable way she carried herself. She also lived with Shi Qing Xuan, Nan Feng, and Fu Yao. Though he did not know the relationships between the 4, he knew it wasn’t something romantic, so he left it alone.

“Yes, of course. What do you need?” Xie Lian turned to face her fully and walked over to her.

“Can you organize this for me? I’d ask someone else but you just do too good of a job sometimes.” She held out a stack of papers. Xie Lian was just a receptionist for the company and had been after getting out of college a year and a half ago. He made good money to support Qi Rong and himself, so he didn’t concern himself with promotions and had turned down Ling Wen many times. Xie Lian took the stack and nodded with a smile.

“Sure. I can do that. Oh, before I forget.” He shook his head lightly. He wasn’t sure when he’d see Ling Wen again during the workday so he thought to ask at that moment rather than come home and get scolded by Shi Qing Xuan for forgetting. “Shi Qing Xuan, Nan Feng, and Fu Yao are going coming over to my place tonight for dinner and Shi Qing Xuan asked me to make sure you could come.”

“Are you cooking?”

“No…” That? Again? Why was his cooking being so attacked on such a lovely morning?

“Sure. I’ll come. I’ll probably go home and change first, then I’ll go to your place with some food.” Ling Wen nodded.  _ ‘She agreed so quickly after I said I wasn’t cooking…’  _ Xie Lian thought for a moment. Truly, his cooking was being attacked ruthlessly.

“Alright then. I’ll see you at some point then. Have a good day, Ling Wen.” He offered a smile, then left the room and went to his desk. He sat down and set down the stack of paperwork. He took off his bag and set it down on his desk and took off some notebooks and planners and set them out neatly on his desk, then he slid the bag beneath his desk. Mornings were typically slow, so Xie Lian had plenty of time to organize the paperwork. After finishing it, he had Ling Wen’s assistant take it to her, then he got to his work which did not amount to much for the time being. Though as the day progressed, he was soon busy and working swiftly at his desk.

Hours passed and then it was 17:00. Xie Lian put his stuff back in his bag and went to clock out. He clocked out and began heading home. After a silent sunset walk, he reached home and slid off his shoes and put on slippers, walking further into his house and he could hear 4 voices chatting. One voice was being quite vulgar. Upon Xie Lian coming into view, the vulgar and rude voice spoke to him.

“Cousin, what the fuck are these bumbling idiots doing here?! Are they homeless or what? They should go hang out at their house!” Qi Rong got up and walked over to Xie Lian.

“Qi Rong, I invited them over. They’re our guests, please treat them nicely.” Xie Lian spoke in a tone that was a mix of kind and stern. Qi Rong frowned upon being asked to treat them nicely.

“Whatever. I’m going to my room. Let me know when dinner is here.” Qi Rong sighed and promptly went to his bedroom. This was his way of Qi Rong respecting Xie Lian’s wishes, as the only way to do so would be to not be near the guests. Xie Lian looked towards Nan Feng, Fu Yao, and Shi Qing Xuan who were all sitting on his couch. He set his bag down on a counter and opened his mouth to speak, but before he could, Nan Feng spoke up.

“You two look alike but I cannot possibly understand how a brat like him can come to be with you being someone he looks up to.” Nan Feng grumbled and crossed his arms, leaning back into the cushions of the couch. Fu Yao rolled his eyes, not necessarily at Nan Feng, but at Qi Rong. Xie Lian laughed nervously as he truly didn’t know how Qi Rong ended up like that either, as even Xie Lian’s parents discouraged his vulgar behavior.

“That’s not important right now! Where’s Ling Wen? Did you forget again?” Shi Qing Xuan extended her arm in front of Nan Feng, almost like silencing him.

“He must have.” Fu Yao sighed and looked to Xie Lian.

“No, no, on! Really! I didn’t.” Xie Lian rushed. “She’s going home to change, then she’s coming with some food.” Xie Lian explained and sat on an empty spot on the couch.

“Good.” Shi Qing Xuan smiled. “I ordered food for everyone already and it should be here soon.” Shi Qing Xuan was the friend to remember what everyone liked to eat, which made it quite easy when they hung out like this. Xie Lian looked at her as if asking her a question. “Yes, I got some for Qi Rong as well. I can’t handle it when you feel bad after he’s left out.” She sighed.

“Thank you, Shi Qing Xuan.” Xie Lian smiled and leaned back into the cushions as well, he was finally relaxing after a long day.

“You won’t believe it though! Today, on my lunch break, I went to a nearby restaurant and I met the perfect model! It was practically fate!” Shi Qing Xuan gushed and put her hands over her cheeks. “He had this sleek long black hair and such a defined face, look so good in black and his legs were so long too~” She sighed happily. Xie Lian looked to Fu Yao, who looked similar to this description. Sleek long back hair, a defined face, had long legs, and often wore darker colors. Shi Qing Xuan caught this and lightly hit Xie Lian’s upper arm. “Don’t look at Fu Yao! He doesn’t even compare to that handsome lawyer.”

“Did you learn the perfect model’s name or were you too busy being creepy?” Fu Yao raised an eyebrow.

“He said his name is Ming Yi! He looks like a dark prince, it’s so lovely. Your features are too pretty and delicate, Fu Yao.” Shi Qing Xuan spoke with a bit of a pout. “You’d make a good prince charming if you’d stop rolling your eyes.” Xie Lian couldn’t help but laugh at that comment. Fu Yao did come across as quite unapproachable because of the attitude he had.

“It’s better that way.” He said coldly. Fu Yao simply had no interest in women or relationships, much like Xie Lian.

“Mhm.” Nan Feng nodded easily in agreement.

“At this rate, you two won’t marry happily!” Shi Qing Xuan gasped. “You too, Xie Lian! I worry for you boys! Where’s the romance? You’re wasting your looks, I tell you.” She sighed and lowered her hands from her cheeks.

“Relationships just don’t appeal to me, but thank you for your concern, Shi Qing Xuan.” Xie Lian offered with a chuckle.

“Anyone would be too good for you anyway.” Shi Qing Xuan hummed. Xie Lian raised an eyebrow and was surprised to see Nan Feng nod in agreement. He looked to Fu Yao and Fu Yao wasn’t rolling his eyes. So, he was agreeing.

“...er... I think you all have some skewed vision of me.” Xie Lian nervously laughed.

“If that Ming Yi is a dark prince, you’re like a brilliant golden prince, you just shine too much!” Shi Qing Xuan sat up and looked at Xie Lian with a determined expression. “Like an honorable crown prince!” Xie Lian was far too embarrassed by the attention on him to notice the specific way Shi Qing Xuan said those final 2 words.

“I hope Ling Wen is alright, it has been a bit.” Nan Feng spoke up. Shi Qing Xuan turned away from Xie Lian to look at Nan Feng.

“You’re right, it has been a good few minutes.” Shi Qing Xuan got out her phone and scrolled through her countless contacts. Xie Lian sighed quietly in relief and looked at Nan Feng. He truly owed Nan Feng for saving him from that! Nan Feng returned the look with an expression that wrote off what he did as an understatement. Shi Qing Xuan tapped her phone to call Ling Wen and she put the phone to her ear. Ling Wen spoke before Shi Qing Xuan could even open his mouth. “Mhm. Oh, you are? Great!” Shi Qing Xuan hung up and went to the door, she opened it and Ling Wen was actually already at the door with some snacks in bags. She walked inside and slid off her shoes and went to the living room and set the bags down on the coffee table. Shi Qing Xuan stepped outside as she saw the delivery man for their food. She paid for the food and carried it all inside, displaying quite the fantastic balancing act. She kicked the door shut behind her and also set the bags of takeout on the coffee table.

“Qi Rong!” Xie Lian called out. He took his order after Shi Qing Xuan handed it to him. He opened the container and began eating his noodles as everyone else began eating as well. Qi Rong did not respond after a few minutes and did not make an appearance. Xie Lian looked to the hallway. “Just a moment.” He set his food down on the coffee table and got up, beginning to walk to Qi Rong’s door. He knocked a few times, then opened the door and peaked his head in. “Qi R-”

Xie Lian stopped speaking as he watched Qi Rong raise his phone and throw it at a wall. “Fuck!” Qi Rong yelled loudly. “I was killed! Fucking- Again!!” Qi Rong snapped. Xie Lian furrowed his brows and walked in.

“Qi Rong, what is the matter?” He tilted his head. Qi Rong lifted his head and looked over to Xie Lian.

“Cousin! It’s this stupid fucking game!” Qi Rong got up and went over to his phone and picked it. Amazingly, it wasn’t cracked. He went over to Xie Lian and showed him the screen on his phone. It was blood splattered over a 2D drawing of a handsome man with an eyepatch and 1 amber-colored eye. The man had messy black locks and a sinister grin on his face. As if to emphasize that this was a villainess character, he was even wearing a red robe. There was a box at the bottom of the piece with white text. [HUA CHENG FOUND OUT YOU WERE CLOSE WITH CROWN PRINCE JUN WU AND KILLED YOU. TRY AGAIN?] [YES.] [NO.]

Xie Lian looked at Qi Rong. Then looked back at the screen. Then at Qi Rong. Then at the screen. Then at Qi Rong. Then at the screen. Then at-

“It’s a for a bet.” Qi Rong explained. This still did not help Xie Lian understand why his 20-year-old male cousin was playing an otome game.

“You know I will always support you as my cousin.” Xie Lian offered softly. Qi Rong’s entire expression fell as if these were the worst words he’d ever heard in his life. To Qi Rong, they truly were. Xie Lian’s intentions were kind, but that was quite a misunderstanding.

“Cousin!! Fuck no! This is for a bet! It’s some otome game that appeared out of nowhere and this is the impossible route! Have you not heard of it?!” Qi Rong jumped to explain.

“Oh? Qi Rong plays otome games?” Shi Qing Xuan spoke up from the doorway. Qi Rong looked at Shi Qing Xuan coldly.

“Go die, you disgusting and vile woman.” Qi Rong snapped out without a second thought. Xie Lian lightly smacked the back of Qi Rong’s head. Qi Rong frowned and rubbed the back of his head. “Anyway. What did you want?”

“Dinner is here. You should thank that woman.” Xie Lian crossed his arms. Qi Rong grumbled under his breath.

“Thanks. Bitch.” Qi Rong narrowed his eyes at her. Xie Lian and Shi Qing Xuan sighed, as this was good as a thank you as Shi Qing Xuan was getting.

“Come on.” Shi Qing Xuan headed back to the living room and Xie Lian followed with Qi Rong in tail. They arrived in the living room and Xie Lian sat back down in his spot and Qi Rong found a spot to sit. Xie Lian handed Qi Rong his food, then got back to eating his own. There was silence for a few minutes as everyone ate, then Shi Qing Xuan finished her food and set down her container. “Nan Feng, Fu Yao, Ling Wen, you won’t believe this. Xie Lian’s little cousin plays otome games.” She hummed. This was her payback for being called a disgusting and vile woman. Shi Qing Xuan thought she was quite lovely, and would not take someone saying otherwise without a fight. Xie Lian finished his food and took a drink of his water.

“He said it was for a bet, that the game appeared out of nowhere and the route was impossible.” Xie Lian spoke up before Qi Rong could be made fun of. “Some villain’s route, right?” He looked to Qi Rong.

“Yes! That bastard, Hua Cheng.” Qi Rong set his food down angrily. Xie Lian had his eyes on Qi Rong, so he did not notice the way Shi Qing Xuan froze or the way Ling Wen raised her eyes and began to listen intently. Xie Lian nodded for Qi Rong to go on. Qi Rong leaned back into the chair he was on and crossed his arms. “The otome game [The Heavenly Empire’s Highest] appeared out of nowhere last week. Shit like that could be ignored, but it’s so fucking mysterious. The company name that developed it on the app store is just called E-Ming, but when you look up at that company, it’s impossible to find a single fucking thing. There’s no trace such a company exists. The artist is unable to track down as well, a few people have similar styles, but they can’t replicate the art of the game no matter how they try, those idiots. It’s so weird, so fucking weird. But it’s just a regular otome game, right? Some regular shitty girly girl thing?” Qi Rong explained. “But the fucking kicker is after you finish the game, you get a chance to do the villain’s route. Some bastard asshole piece of shit motherfucker-”

“Qi Rong. The game?” Xie Lian cut him off from his cursing rant.

“Right.” Qi Rong rolled his eyes. “The villain, Hua Cheng. He’s a sorcerer that’s uninterested in fucking everything, and his route is called the impossible route cause you literally cannot fucking beat it. Not a single soul has been able to. But I’m going to, I will fucking win the bet.”

“Qi Rong, didn’t Hua Cheng just kill you in the game?” Xie Lian tilted his head. He worked at a game development company but wasn’t interested in games so he didn’t understand how they  worked. In his mind, death meant Qi Rong couldn’t try again. Qi Rong didn’t understand this is what he meant as he was already aggravated from losing countless times prior.

“Well- you fucking try it, cousin!! You’ll see how goddamn hard it is! You have to finish the other stupid routes first, but they’re not so difficult. Hua Cheng is impossible.” Qi Rong snapped. Xie Lian sighed. What to do about this cousin of his?

“Sure. I’ll try it.” Perhaps he could understand Qi Rong’s tantrums from this game if he tried it himself? He got a few shocked looks from the others, as normally Xie Lian had terrible luck and avoided games because he often lost. “Can I see your phone?” He held out his hand. Qi Rong handed it to him and Xie Lian tapped the no on the box as it was still open to that screen. He struggled a bit with finding how to get to the home screen, but Shi Qing Xuan helped him as she was right next to him. Upon reaching the home screen, all 5 main leads appeared on the screen in an extravagant piece with the 6th possible lead behind them in a menacing position. Shi Qing Xuan took in a shaky breath and Xie Lian glanced at her. “Would these also make perfect models?” He joked, misunderstanding her breath.

Shi Qing Xuan remained silent. Xie Lian shrugged it off and messed with a few options. “Oh. You can’t restart it unless you uninstall and reinstall it as a new player or pay money.” Xie Lian frowned. “Do you think my phone could handle this kind of game?” Xie Lian looked to Qi Rong.

“That piece of shit phone? Absolutely not!” Qi Rong laughed. “Your phone is a relic only you know how to work!” He laughed harder at his own comment.

“I’ll buy you a new phone tomorrow, Lian-er.” Shi Qing Xuan murmured, still looking at the main leads.

“You really don’t have to do that.” Xie Lian rushed.

“Don’t worry about it.” She lifted her head to look at him and smiled. “I’ll get you cute accessories for it too! Get you some color!” She hummed excitedly. “I’ll bring it to you while you’re at work!” Shi Qing Xuan clapped.

“Oh- that’s really not necessary- really-” He awkwardly tried to discourage her. Nan Feng and Fu Yao who’d taken notice of Shi Qing Xuan’s reaction to the art, despite not being able to see, and after hearing the name of the game, nodded to each other, then looked to Xie Lian.

“We’ll go with her to make sure she picks out stuff that’s your style.” Nan Feng assured. Though this was not assuring at all, and Xie Lian felt more burdensome! Ling Wen watched the interactions silently.

“Qi Rong. This game is popular, yes?” Ling Wen looked at Qi Rong. She didn’t speak to him often, or at all, so this threw Qi Rong off.

“O-Oh- um- yeah. It started blowing up on the internet 4 days ago.” He explained. A bit stunned still that Ling Wen spoke to him.

“Well, as the CEO of a game development company, I might as well try it myself.” She decided. Everyone looked at her. That was truly more shocking than the earlier thoughts of why Qi Rong was playing an otome game. “What? It’ll be good research. I wouldn’t want to bug Xie Lian to write reports for me as he plays.”  _ ‘But that’s exactly what you’d ask me to do, Ling wen.’ _ Xie Lian thought to himself.

“Then I’ll play too.” Shi Qing Xuan spoke up.

“Oh great. It’s like a fucking book club for an otome game now.” Qi Rong rubbed his forehead.

“Hey, don’t include us in your otome game playing.” Fu Yao quickly replied. He was absolutely not playing under any circumstances, and the same could easily be said for Nan Feng who seemed like he was going to throw up from the very thought.

After this conversation, the night went on, and soon, Xie Lian had sent his friends off. He was cleaning up the coffee table and throwing away anything that needed to be thrown away and wiping off any food mess. Qi Rong watched while on the couch.

“Cousin. Why play this game? You suck at games.” Qi Rong mentioned. Xie Lian stood up straight after finishing up cleaning.

“Well, simple, I can play a game my younger cousin is having trouble with, and maybe we can hang out and you can help me understand it.” He smiled at Qi Rong. Qi Rong sighed.

“No. I think I’m done with it. I’ve died to Hua Cheng hundreds of times. You’re great though, cousin. Maybe this is a game you’ll beat.”

“What about the bet?”

“Fuck that shitty bet. It was only over 20 dollars anyway.” Qi Rong got up and went to his room with his phone. Xie Lian watched him go and sighed softly once the door shut. Silence and calm  once more befell the two-bedroom apartment.

  
It was just a little game, though as Xie Lian stood alone in the living room, he thought back to the art of the villain, Hua Cheng.  _ ‘What an Interesting Character. I wonder how impossible your route truly is?’ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed it! Thanks for tuning in, I'll see you soon.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for tuning in, I hope you enjoy it.


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